When you get a chance, can you please explain how restricted free agency and qualifying offers works, in case some readers aren’t familiar with it. I almost certain I know, but I don’t want to write anything that turns out to be wrong.

Thanks.

anthony

Patrick O’Sullivan – what a surprise
Why hasn’t he signed yet!!

I’m a little puzzled as to why Gauthier a Piskula were tendered offers.
With the amount of players we have in system, do they have a legitimate shot to crack the line-up. Especially with Piskula. With only 6 slots open at defense.
How do you figure Piskula making it if you consider.
-Lubo
-Preissing
-Harrold
-Hickey
-Doughty
-Tuebert
-Martinez
-Russian player
-Maybe Blake (God I hope not)
-Maybe Stuart (God T hope so)

And whatever happened to Matt Ryan.

Rich Hammond

I stole this from TSN…explains it perfectly, I believe…

—–

Teams are required to extend a one-year qualifying offer to any current restricted free agent by June 25 in order to receive the right of first refusal or draft choice compensation should that respective player sign an offer sheet with another NHL club. The qualifying offers will expire at 4 pm (Central Time) on Sunday, July 15.

If a team does not give a qualifying offer to a restricted free agent, he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and can sign with any team without compensation.

Qualifying offers fall into the following three categories:

1) A player whose prior year salary was equal or less than $660,000 must receive a qualifying offer of 110% of their prior years salary. 2) A player whose prior year salary was more than $660,000 and up to $1 million must receive a qualifying offer of 105% of their prior years salary (but in no event shall such qualifying offer exceed $1 million). 3) A player whose prior year salary was more than $1 million must receive a qualifying offer at 100% of their prior years salary.

Bob Bobson

Not surprised about Kanko given that he is has been around just a while without showing much in development.

Bob Bobson

Anthony, I am sure Dean is working as fast as he can on O’Sullivan. Matt Ryan signed to play in Europe.

Goon Squad

anthony said: “I’m a little puzzled as to why Gauthier a Piskula were tendered offers.”

Even if you don’t think these guys have what it takes, they still provide depth which always seems to come into play around January or February, when the injury bug hits. Even if Piskula is #10 on the list, he’ll probably see NHL action some time next season. The point of “building the reserve list” is to first create healthy competition, and second to safeguard against injuries.

Hickey, Teubert, Martinez, and Voinov are longshots to make the Kings this year. But you may want to add Jack Johnson to your list of definites.

JDM

Never heard of Roussin. Not too broken up about Kanko though.

Are all qualifying offers for one-year, or is there potential to lock up Sully long term this off-season?

RUss

KAAAANKOOOOO!!! 🙁

nooooooooo!!!!!

*pours out some 40 for Kanko.

Pat McGroyn

I’m a little bummed about Dany Roussin not working out for the Kings. Dany was Sidney Crosby’s linemate while at Rimouski in the QMJHL, so with guarded optimism, I hoped he could continue to put up big numbers in NHL. Roussin put up decent numbers while playing in the ECHL, but he was never really able to put it together in Manchester.

No One

JDM these are just offers. They don’t have to be signed by the players.

I would expect O’Sullivan to be signed to a multi year contract before July 1.

Chuck

No real loss here. Kanko had some attitude issues. I wish that stupid fax machine in the NHL league office had been working correctly. Mike Keenan had him signed for Florida (originally a FLA pick), the fax was broken (or out of paper, something like that), and the signing deadline came & went. Roussin was a wasted 2nd round pick, as a draft re-entry.

Anonymous

Hey Rich, or anyone who knows… Isn’t Guiliano an RFA??

JDM

I thought Guiliano was a UFA… could be wrong though. I don’t imagine him being back on the team.

So with the RFA’s, they tender a qualifying offer, and if the player signs it, is that his contract, or can they work out something else? I know how the offer sheet and matching works for the most part. I guess are those rules Rich posted from TSN exact rules or just minimum requirements? “are required to extend a one-year qualifying offer.” It’s the required part that tripped me up I guess. Argh… this is why I’m not a business man.

34YearKingsFan

Where does Tukonen fit in all of this??

Eric K

OH NO, NOT KANKO!!!

anyway, i could see every player there seeing NHL time next year, even if piskula is a long shot.

JDM

Tukonen will be an RFA this time next year… if we hang on to him or he doesn’t leave for Europe like some have suggested.

John

Come on Anthony! Piskula’s a solid prospect. If we’re going to build from the ground up from within, it’s going to take time. The kid’s big & can skate &, at the very least, raises the level of competition.

JD A

It’s always a good day when the lame ass quackers get some well deserved negative press. Just glad the ownership is really setting the bar as far as character goes. 🙂

BTW, apologies to Nigel Tufnel, but this blog is now an 11 out of 10. Thanks yet again!

sense13

Matt Ryan? Matt’s a forward. I think you meant Joe Ryan who I believe is/was playing for Reading. Joe’s gotten lost in the shuffle I’m afraid.

MacSwede

What about UFA Craig Conroy? Maybe he would be a good second line center to Frolov, instead of miserable Handzus.. Otherwise Andreas Karlsson might be interesting since he is an old friend to Ersberg from their time in the Swedish Elite leauge together (HV71).

By the way, I heard that Andreas Karlsson has signed with the swedish team Frolunda (Gothenburg), so he wont be avaliable.

Maybe we dont need to sign another center, with the aquirance of Richardson, But I still think we are a little thin at the second line. Our young core of offensive talents also need a experienced mentor like the defense has (Blake, UFA). Handzus has to step up, and maybe Boyle and Purcell is ready to make the top six, but I doubt it. I understand that we have to be patient, and give the players time to develop, but signing some vets dont have to be negative. Look at the pens, they got some vets in Roberts, Recchi and Sykora that helped the young kids develop.

Can you americans please wake up now and comment my comment 😉 It is almost 16:15 here..

Dan H.

Dan H. here…trouble signing up 😐

Conroy was horrible the first time around. I don’t think that’s a good idea to bring him back when we’re going with youth and we have plenty of guys at the forward spot fighting for that spot.

dominic lavoie

Rich,
Looks like DL may have been right about these guys coming over. They were both among the first 7 picks in the CHL import draft. Filatov was 1st overall.

Voinov will learn the junior game (if he plays there) in the high scoring “Q” while Loktionov will ply his trade in the OHL for a team with a number of highly rated NHL prospects, the Windsor Spitfires.

I’m awake!!!Craig Conroy, no. We’ve gone that route before and it’s safe to say that his production has been on decline since 05-06.

I believe that defensively, we need a tough, stay-at-home defenseman, so take Hainsey out of that list. I personally would like Stuart back if he’s willing. Orpik would be my first choice, though I’m not getting my hopes up.

Although I agree with almost everything else you say, the issue with the Kings is that we do have veterans, but none of them are very productive unfortunately. However, I believe that Handzus could rebound this season and Armstrong is still a good role model in the locker room and a steady 3rd or 4th center.

Lastly, I’m hoping that Boyle will win over the 2nd center position. His size and strength are NHL caliber, but i’m not 100% confident that he is ready for that pressure for a whole season.

Cheers!

Anonymous

16:15?? our clocks only go up to 12 out here 😉 JK

JDM

Conroy was good while he was here, I didn’t think he was a bust. I believe he was playing with Fro during that season? (memory is a little foggy on his line combinations). I guess I wouldn’t mind seeing him back. If you figure Boyle will be ready for second line duty not this season but maybe next, then I agree a one-year contract with a Vet would be best, unless we can lock up a younger player for 3-4 seasons.

Now that Niedermayer is returning for the Ducks, I kind of hope Lombardi steals away Perry. Not a center, but a damn good player… and tough, like DL likes ’em.

Let’s say Lombardi throws an offer sheet out to Perry… something in the $20 mill – 5 year range. A) What is Perry really worth? B) Would you guys praise or disbarage Lombardi if he offered a nice chunk of change and had to give up a 1, 2 and 3rd round pick to get a young player like Perry?

I personally love his style of play, I’d love to p*** off the Ducks like that, and if he could get him cheap enough to have room for Kopi’s, JJ’s, Bernier’s and Doughty’s big future contracts, I’d be all over a deal like that.

Is Lombardi the ‘offer sheet’ type of GM tho? Something tells me no….

but then again, he was a lawyer.

Mark

I don’t understand why everyone’s against Craig Conroy’s return. Everyone remembers the Craig Conroy that was traded under the horrible coaching of Mark Crawford. How was it possible that Conroy was on the 4th line in LA (on a bad team) but was promoted to the 2nd line in Calgary and still make it on the Olympic team? He’s the character type player that Dean Lombardi should seek.

Nigel Tufnel

You’re right George, this site does go to 11. No bloody apology necessary.

GO KINGS GO!!!

Goon Squad

Joe Ryan was playing juniors with Gatineau. He was not signed by the Kings, which puzzled me at the time. Now I can see they wanted to make room for 4 new defensemen at the draft.

I wonder if sending the 2 Russians to juniors is really a smart move. Seeing as they’re 18, and particularly in the case of Voinov, I’d hate to get into that stupid situation with the CHL where they’re not allowed to leave and play for Manchester until they turn 20.

JDM

Rhett Warrener was placed on waivers… at 2.5 mill he’s too expensive, but if bought out which it appears he will be, he might be a really cheap, stay-at-home dman in FA. Any interest?

Some fan

This probably a question for a future post but…

Any word as to whether or not the Kings are looking to sign a veteran goaltender come July 1st?

I can handle rooting for a team with an inexperienced defense. But an inexperienced defense AND unproven goaltending? Seems like a bad combination to me.

Wouldn’t someone like Olaf Kolzig be a good guy to mentor the young defensemen as well as take away the “we don’t have goaltending” excuse from the team?

Jimmy Crack Corn

Hey Rich,
A question for the next time you talk to Lombardi. Just curious what he might think of the current situation in Toronto, the sweeping changes taking place. They obviously have their own plan of action but if he had to compare, where does Toronto stand next to the Kings? Ahead, in stride or maybe where the Kings were 2 years ago?

4ndr3y

Hey Rich, the salary increases for 6.4Mio. That means the 2008/09 season salary cap (max.) will be at $56.7-million USD. The team low salary is at $40.7 million.

Now what do you think Rich about the increases after the lockout??

Well I don’t think that the small hockey market teams will be competitive for any longer. Could it happend that we see another lockout in the near future?

Keep up the good work, gretz from overseas (Slovenia) and sorry for my grammar mistakes. 😛

Not important enough to use my first AND last name

Since the news is slow lately, how about something we can all debate:

WHERE DO YOU SEE THE KINGS IN THE NEXT 2-3 YEARS?

Since the posters here seem relatively intelligent and realistic about this franchise (except for a certain person whos name rhymes with ‘Manthony’), let’s debate where this team should be heading in the standings in the next couple of seasons. I think we can all agree that being in the playoffs next season would be a miracle and just fighting for the 8th seed would be something we would all welcome. But is it safe to say this team should be in the playoffs two years from now, and even be up there consistently for the next several years??

I think as fans, we should expect that. Most of us are trying to accept Lombardi’s vision and concept…so he’s got his goaltender (Bernier), the forwards and now we have the defense…all of which points towards the FUTURE. Should that all be coming together starting in the 2009-2010 season? I for one, say it damn well better or this franchise is gonna lose credibility (whats left of it) in a serious way.

Jimmy Crack Corn

NietumfAln,
Good topic for discussion.
I’m hoping the Kings will be competitive the next 3 years and considered cup contenders in about 4-5 years. Consistently in the top 1/3 of the league for many years afterwards same as NJ has done it. A couple years ago I didn’t see Pittsburgh turning around so quickly making a run at the cup so who knows what can happen?

Hello, I found your blog in a new directory of blogs. I dont know how your blog came up, must have

Who is behind Inside the Kings blog?

Elliott Teaford is an award-winning hockey reporter based in Southern California and witnessed the L.A. Kings win the Stanley Cup in 2012 and in '14. He grew up playing outdoors on the streets of Philadelphia. He also watched the Flyers bully their way to consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1970s, and makes no excuses for their quasi-legal play.

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